Northbound and Down
by goodloser
Summary: Vampire AU; Chie flexed her fingers into a fist, and felt her pulse slowly thump against the squeezed skin. The Shadows could keep coming, and she was ready to knock them back down, every time.
1. Direction

Rise heard the smash of porcelain, and the tinny patter of shards on a tatami mat, and reacted accordingly. But she was Lovers now, and Lovers was far, far away. Lovers existed nowhere, and was nothing. She was the backdrop and the curtains.

Shapes condensed on the stage, inside her eyelids. They were murky and transient as ever, but she had learnt to interpret. So she let them perform their play.

The characters whose forms leaked between the floorboards, whose hearts were always concealed with masks, were Shadows. There were two this time. One unfamiliar, and one, the mercury-haired deity she had come to both respect and fear.

Himiko's voice whispered through her veins, in a way that was understood more than heard.

 _"The Fog is swallowed,_  
 _When the Chariot returns to her shed,_  
 _When Justice is overseen,_  
 _A second heart will awaken._  
 _Judgement will be done."_

* * *

 _"You're going to Inaba."_

"To - _what?_ " Chie spluttered.

 _"Don't tell me you've forgot..."_ The voice at the other end of the line was dark with a groan, and Chie could only hide her momentary amusement. As hard as Magician tried to be the _cool and collected_ team leader he thought he was, he remained as goofy as the classmate she'd known since high school.

"I know what Inaba is, doofus. I mean _why?_ There's no way a Shadow would be holed up in such a small town."

 _"First of all, you can't know that."_ As an instructor, Magician was the _first_ guy to correct people on Agency matters. _"They can be anywhere. Hell, I bet that's the exact logic they use when they claim towns. And secondly, Lovers had a vision."_

"...A vision."

 _"Yeah. Eyes rolled back, twitching, hearing voices. The whole shebang."_

It was difficult to imagine the former idol as Magician described, but Chie knew better than to doubt what he told her. She'd witnessed Lovers in those moods herself.

"And it concerns me, or something?" she asked, surprised. Lovers' little bouts of ESP usually didn't lend more than a Shadow's name or location. Certainly not a User.

 _"Himiko named your Arcana. Yes, it concerns you."_

"It could be any other Chariot, you know."

He was quick with a comeback, as if he'd been waiting to use it. _"You're the only Inaban Chariot,_ and _the only Chariot in Tottori. How could it be anyone_ but _you?"_

Chie impatiently paced the floor of her living room. Her slippers made soft scrapes on the mat.

She said, "You got me, I guess. What am I meant to do in Inaba?"

 _"Just... investigate? Find out what you can. There's got to be a reason Himiko named you."_

She snorted. "Nice directive, _leader_."

 _"Swap places with me for a day. I dare you. I'd love to do more fighting than thinking."_

The urge to point out her final grades welled up inside her, but she bit her tongue. Magician did kind of have a point. It must be tough to do all the work he did.

 _"I'll email you the train ticket. Pack your things and be at the station by 7,"_ he said, after a sigh, and then hung up.

Chie slipped her phone back into her pocket, then trudged to her bedroom with half-hearted steps. The door to it was opened with as much grace as a rubbish man. She rescued her duffel bag from the depths of her closet, and then began stuffing it with clothes. She put no thought whatsoever into what she was going to wear; only how long it would last without a wash. T-shirts and jeans came first and foremost. But then... tight jeans weren't easy to kick in, and in a fight, she'd need all the movement she could get. She retrieved all the pairs she'd put in, and opted for trackie bottoms instead.

Her bag looked a lot more like it belonged to an athlete than someone who hunted monsters for a living. That was a good thing, really. It was covert. Hunters were supposed to confine themselves to the shadows they stalked. In the public eye, both Users and Shadows were as mythical as flying pigs.

She was already planning forward in her head. She could crash at Yosuke's parents' place, or the Amagi Inn if it was still open, or maybe even Rise's grandmother's? No, maybe not. She'd be made to make tofu all day, and she had things to attend to. The old Hanamura household was the safest bet. She could even get steaks from Junes, like she used to.

As if right on cue, her phone buzzed from her pocket. The caller ID said Justice. She pressed _answer_ , pressed the speaker to her ear, and was cut off before she could even say hello.

 _"I'm coming with you to Inaba."_

"Excuse me?"

There was a pause, and then, _"A-ah! I'm sorry, Chariot-san, I didn't meant to impose, I..."_

"You're doing fine," Chie said, with the phone tucked beneath her shoulder and a half-folded pair of pants on her lap. The age gap between Justice and the rest of them was pretty steep - she knew they often felt out of place. It was all she could do to reassure them whenever she could. "Why're you coming?"

 _"Well, I... I want to! Lovers' prophecy mentioned me, too, so... and it might be dangerous for you to go on your own."_

Chie was torn. It might be useful to have some backup, but then again, it wasn't as if she couldn't handle herself in a fight. And she could always call for support if it was needed. But Nanako was a hard one to say no to...

An idea flashed within her reach. "Hey, I could totally give you some one-on-one training! And there'll be, like, one Shadow. Maybe two at most. You could take care of it. Some hands-on experience would be great for you! Hold on, I'll call Hierophant right now -"

 _"Wait."_

"What?"

 _"Don't tell him."_

And just like that, Chie's internal engine spluttered to a halt. "Wh - don't tell him? Why not?"

 _"I don't need his permission or anything! I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I want to prove that I can fight to."_

"I don't think going against his wishes is the right way to do that." Chie was sure her frown could be felt over the line, but there was a trace of smile hidden beneath it. "But, if you maybe, _coincidentally_ got on the same 7 o' clock train as me, _without my knowledge_ , what can I do about it?"

Their voice was alight and warm. _"Thank you, Chariot-san! You won't regret it!"_

She laughed, and brought up a hand to steady the phone. The pants now laid abandoned. "I better not. _You're_ explaining this to Magician, though. I'm not about to open up that can of worms."

Justice agreed, and then hung up, presumably to pack their own things. Their will to fight reminded Chie of herself: small, but tough, and ready to take on whatever the world threw at them to protect Yukiko. Their hardships had started even before Shadows walked the Earth - with their mother gone, old man Dojima was in no place to properly look after them, and they had to grow up a lot faster than any child their age should've. Thinking about this elicited a strange feeling in Chie; a churn of sadness, and pity, and frustration, all rolled into one wave that roared and crashed and split itself upon her insides. The life they'd known before now should've been easy, but it wasn't.

That was six years ago. Six years since the blood-sucking beings called Shadows rose, and began to feed on people. Six years since the boundless fog appeared, and made people complacent and callous. Six years since Personas awoke, and Users were born - the only ones capable of putting an end to this.

Chie flexed her fingers into a fist, and felt her pulse slowly thump against the squeezed skin. The Shadows could keep coming, and she was ready to knock them back down, every time.

* * *

hope u enjoyed! chapter 2 coming soon, i hope : nanako uses they pronouns btw! nothing much vampirey or yukichie happened but it will be soon i promise. i've also decided that perosna 4 is set in tottori, although it's definitely not clear, so that might be considered a little artistic liberty.


	2. Coordinates

The two of them arrived in Inaba by 8. It was already dark, and stood on the platform, Chie found herself frozen; captivated by the stars themselves. She'd been to other towns, sometimes, on business, and while they all played the same sky, the stars always seemed brightest here. They shined through the fog like gold through a treasure chest's keyhole. It was a shame she hadn't visited once since the move. They made their way off the platform, and into the station. Nanako wrenched their jacket tighter round their body, and mumbled through pale lips.

"It's cold."

"You really think so?" Chie grinned, feigning ignorance. "I don't feel it at all. But this is a great opportunity to build some endurance, Nanako-chan!

Yes: Nanako-chan. They couldn't use their Arcana names where anyone might be listening.

Frowned silence was their response. Chie said, "Come on, let's take a seat inside, and discuss our trip plans," and they agreed with a nod.

The couple headed inside, with an ease that she noted with delight. Out of all the partners she could've had for this trip, Nanako was among the better. Company-wise, at least. Her fighting skills were still up for debate. They didn't actually take any seats: only loitered in the corner, with their luggage wilting at their feet like faithful hounds.

"What do we do now?" Nanako asked as they fiddled with their low, brown ponytail.

Chie watched their fingers, with eyes clouded over in concentration. She wasn't actually sure. Usually she already knew who to fight or where to go - Lovers was usually the one who gathered any intel. The phone in her back pocket itched with an impulse: ask her. But she probably wouldn't get much of answer. And besides, she had an apprentice now, and it just wouldn't do for Nanako to see their beloved teacher seeking help on the first try. She'd have to put some real thought into it.

The idea occurred to her this was a prime opportunity for some learning to take place. "Well, Nanako-chan, what do you think our first move should be? Remember: to catch a Shadow, you must first think like a Shadow."

They stared up at Chie beneath a messy block fringe, and then down at their feet, as if an answer might lie etched into the tiled floor. It wasn't long before their chin perked right back up, and they said, "The police station! If there's been some mysterious deaths, it's probably because of the Shadow, right?"

Chie chuckled with a chord note of nervousness and pride. That was actually a pretty good plan. "Right. First we better find some place to crash, though. We need to put our bags away. How does the Hanamura house sound? Although I'm not sure if they can fit two people... we'll have to share a room."

Most of her friends, her included, had moved to the city with the advent of Personae. The only person who didn't was Yukiko, and the pair of them hadn't actually spoken in years. Although she did say the whole reason she'd stayed was to run the inn, that was a while ago, and she knew seventeen year old Yukiko hadn't enjoyed the thought of a family business foisted upon her.

"The Amagi Inn is probably still open," Nanako pointed out, as if Chie's face was that much of a giveaway. "I'd rather stay there than at some stranger's house."

It was decided, then. They took the next bus there. Chie sat with her hands folded tight in her lap, gazing out the window and watching the fog roll past. Everything looked the same as it had been years ago, but with subtle differences, like a differently coloured street-lamp, or a new road sign. A slight nausea at the clash of familiarity rose in her stomach. She was so close to the past, and yet, growing farther by the second.

The inn was open, after all, and she briefly wondered if Nanako just knew it all. They were shaping up to be a good User, or at the very least, a good problem solver. If the bus ride was the trip down Memory Lane, being at the inn must've been purchasing Memory Estate. It was exactly the way she remembered it, from the old tatami mats to the neglected brochures for local Inaban attractions piled up in a cubbyhole.

She didn't recognise the receptionist - not the old lady she was used - although the girl they did have looked quite young. Maybe she was a fresh Yasogami graduate. Chie placed her fingers on the wooden counter, and drummed them to an unnecessary attention-grabbing effect. She and Nanako were the only ones in the lobby, after all.

"Hi. Are there any rooms open for tonight?"

The receptionist peered over the counter at Nanako - the top of it came to an inch below their collarbone, bless - and then over her shoulder, at the clock behind her. She didn't even check the computer.

"Yes. Would you like two?"

"No thanks. Just one with two futons."

The receptionist nodded, and then went through the normal rounds; asking for names, signatures, and handing out a key. Chie paid with the Agency credit card. Although her salary could easily afford it, this was more of a business trip than a friendly outing. The taxpayers would never miss it. Nanako had already started to leave, but Chie lingered for just a moment longer.

"Do you know who the current owner of the inn is?"

"Amagi Yukiko-sama," said the receptionist.

"Oh?" A half-smile crept onto her face. "Can I speak to her? Where is she?"

"I'm afraid she is out right now, but I can take a message. Please be aware she is a busy lady."

"That'll be fine. Just tell her I'm here, then."

Chie followed Nanako to their room, her insides charred a little with disappoint. The room was identical to the others she'd stayed in over the seventeen years she'd lived in Inaba - although it was a little on the smaller side, but that was fine. She put her duffel bag on the floor, and then kicked it over to the other side of the room. It scraped across the mats, to come to a clumsy flop in front of Nanako's neatly placed suitcase. They looked at her with no trace of dissent save for the frown in their eyes.

"Part one of the mission: complete! We're making great time!" Chie yelled and posed her favourite kung fu move, probably too loudly for the guests next door. She'd meant it as a joke, actually, but somehow, it did feel a little reassuring. Like she was sorting herself out. Like this not-Lovers-approved operation was working out after all. "Alright. Let's check out the police station."

They took another bus there. It was actually the district next to where Chie used to live, so it was one of the most familiar to her. Nanako knew their way around, too; a by-product of growing up with a detective as their father. The precinct was so old-fashioned compared to the stations in Tottori, it was half laughable and half worrying. It was a good thing Inaba was small enough it didn't need anything more advanced than this.

As they entered the building, Nanako demonstrated their wonderful ability to read minds. "By the time we moved, in 2012, they still had old TVs here. Y'know, not a flatscreen? The old, big, chunky ones."

"I know what you mean," Chie laughed. "I bet Yosuke would know what they're called."

"Yeah, they had a huge TV department at Junes."

"Can I help you, ladies? Oh! Is that Nanako-chan!"

Their conversation was stopped short when a scruffily-clad guy with a red tie greeted them. He had short black hair, a young face, and hands clasped into a lazy, but pleased, clap. A mug laid forgotten on the counter he was leant against.

There was a uniformed man stood besides him, drinking from his own cup. "Nanako-chan? You mean Dojima's girl?"

Although they tried not to show it, Chie could tell from their curled lip a sour look had crossed Nanako's face. She quickly stepped in. "Actually, they're not a girl."

Comprehension didn't strike either of the men's faces - she could tell they didn't really understand, but hopefully they'd at least acknowledge it. Nanako seemed to brighten up, though, and their mouth slid into a small, passive smile.

"Hi Uncle Adachi."

"What're you doing here? How's old Dojima doing?" The guy called Adachi grinned, pleased with the response. "I can't believe you remember me. How old are you now?"

Nanako was so peppered with questions they didn't know what to answer first.

"I'm thirteen years old, and um... I wouldn't forget you. And Dad is doing fine. Actually, I think he's better since the move, since Mum..." They trailed off, like the words dissolved the moment they'd touched the air. "Oh! Can we ask you some questions?"

Adachi's eyebrows raised, and he popped one hand into his blazer pocket. "I don't know what you'd need from me, but go ahead."

"Have there been any weird deaths lately?"

"...Weird deaths...?"

"Like people with their blood drained, or bite marks in general. Unsolved cases. And missing persons," Chie said, fast on the ball, although Nanako could tell by Adachi's frown she wasn't approaching it from the best angle.

They butted in quickly with, "We've heard some rumours about stuff like that. I don't want to go out at night if it's true..."

Adachi seemed to perk up; he straightened up, and fixed his cuffs. "Do you need a police escort? Because I could -"

"Oh, no!" Nanako waved their hands. "We couldn't! I just want to know if there's a curfew, or something."

"I see. Okay, well, I shouldn't really be -"

"Don't tell them," the officer beside Adachi nudged him, and shook his head. "That's confidential."

"Come on, Ishida, what are they gonna do? They're Nanako's daugh... er, kid, I mean." Adachi turned back to the pair of them.

"There has been a little stuff like that actually, which is odd, y'know? I mean, it's Inaba, that's more of a city thing, and... just like you said, too. One guy was almost completely drained of blood. Shiomiyo Nozumu, I don't think you knew him, and the weirdest bit of all? We couldn't find all his missing blood. I don't know if the killer cleaned it up, or collected it, or heck, even drank it, but -"

"That sounds bad," Chie nodded in thought. "Are there any suspects? Like, uh, people we should avoid or look out for."

Nanako noted that was a good save. They were learning from each other.

Adachi could only frown, and slap a palm to his chin. "No... no real leads, yet. We have a couple witnesses saying different things, like he was wearing a hat, or a jumpsuit. Just be wary of anyone who looks suspicious, I guess."

"Thanks, Adachi-san. That's actually pretty helpful!" Chie gave a thumbs up.

They said goodbye, left the building, and were halfway their amble to the bus stop when either of them spoke again.

"Chie-nee-san?"

She grunted in response.

"Do you not think that was kind of... easy?"

"Easy?" Chie had to stop her pace, and consider the question. "Not really. I mean, that officer did know you, and the fog, too. It makes people more cooperative. Kinda."

Nanako knew that already, but they mumbled an "oh" anyway.

"We should probably head back to the inn. No, let's grab some dinner from Junes. We can begin our search for Mr. Jumpsuit tomorrow morning."

It was a good proposition, so Nanako complied. It was getting late. Buses didn't run past 9 on weekdays, and even earlier on weekends. They'd have to walk all around town.

One quick trip to the supermarket, and the pair were already on their way home. Chie carried their big boxed meal in front of her, like an expensive silver platter, while Nanako walked beside her and made small talk about Featherman.

The fog and cool night air chilled Chie's neck, through her tall collar. Her body hair stood up straight to attention. Nanako's cheery tones sounded like an intrusion on the natural stillness of the town. For one of the first times she could remember, she felt out of place. Light footsteps made scuffles on the pavement. It was a strange, suspiciously familiar sound. One that threatened to yank her from reality, and shove her down the deep well of The Inaba That Was.

A hand touched her shoulder.

She whipped round, with one arm raising the ready-meal above her head, and the other formed into a low, straight hand with the edge pointed towards the attacker like an axehead.

"Chie?"

It was Yukiko.

Wearing a plainly patterned winter kimono, she stared at Chie's mix of pizza delivery and martial arts. Her face split into a grin. She clapped a hand to her mouth just before a strained giggle could escape, but another leaked out, and another, until she was wheezing through the spaces between her fingers and doubled over with a hand tucked unceremoniously into her obi.

Chie was already stuck in The Inaba That Was. She hadn't heard anyone laugh like that for six years. She hadn't heard Yukiko laugh like that for six years. To be stood here, in the year 2018, listen to a twenty-three year old woman and childhood friend snort like a teenaged girl was more than surreal. It was Dada. It was the swordsman losing to a brawler - things like this only happened in fiction.

She was totally dumbstruck, and just stood, unwavering, mouth agape at Yukiko. Nanako was by her side, looking equally perturbed, and it dawned on Chie they'd never really met Yukiko. To them, a complete stranger in unfittingly formal clothes had materialised in a fit of laughter. And Yukiko herself was clearly too incapacitated to explain anything.

Slowly, as if not to upset the delicate contents of the precious food inside, Chie lowered the ready-meal, and withdrew her infamous Satonaka Sailing Axe. Yukiko's shower of giggles was clearing up too, and she was slowly starting to regain her composure.

"Yukiko..." mumbled Chie, with one eyebrow cocked.

Yukiko wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Alright, I'm, heheh, I'm finished. Ha. Haha! I'm finished."

Chie didn't reply. She didn't know what to say, to be honest. What was anyone supposed to do in a situation like this? She parted her mouth, to utter a hello, when suddenly the breath of air was squeezed out of her. Something warm wrapped itself around her body, and she took too long to realise she was being hugged.

Yukiko let go quickly enough, however, though her hands lingered at Chie's elbows. Her voice sang as joyfully and nobly as a sun-dappled shrine.

"Chie! I can't believe it's you! What are you doing here?"

"I'm just here on some business, I," Chie replied, coming dangerously close to tripping on her own words. She was more overwhelmed by this than she thought she'd be. It was a surprise, and kinda funny, and happy, but also tinged with bitterness and streaked with sadness. It was everything at once. "It's... it's been so long."

"It has," nodded Yukiko. "We really need to catch up. Are you staying at the inn?"

Chie said she was, and then curiosity crawled its way past her lips. Yukiko wasn't carrying anything. Not even a bag. "What were you doing out here?"

"Oh, here?" Yukiko looked behind her, as if the answer laid that way. "I was just at the shrine. Sometimes work, and just staying at home, is too stressful. You understand, right? It's very comforting to be there, by yourself."

"Oi. It's dangerous for a girl like you to be walking around at night by yourself! There's a... a serial killer lurking around here. I heard it from the police, myself. Plus it's so foggy, so what if -"

"I'll be fine, Chie. Have a little faith in me."

Despite those oft-repeated words, Chie stood firm and resolute with a hard grimace across her face. Even without her Persona, she knew her martial arts, but Yukiko didn't have anything of the sort; she was vulnerable. She made an internal vow to personally root out and exterminate the Shadow of Inaba. If she didn't do it, no one else would.

Apart from her, and Nanako, who else was going to protect Amagi Yukiko?

* * *

i got into writing this. not sure about the length... ? what do you think? i thought it would've been a pain to drag it on any longer, but i feel like it cuts off kinda awkwardly. but what happens next will be pretty big so i kind of want it to have its own chapter.

chie and yukiko finally reunite. hooray! even adachi makes an appearance. i wonder what'll happen next. i hope this is an acceptable chapter


	3. Cardinal

"So, Chie, who's your friend? Is she your cousin?" Yukiko had turned to Nanako, and was beaming as if meeting an old friend's preteen relative would be anything _but_ awkward. Luckily, the truth was less embarrassing than that.

"They use they pronouns, Yukiko."

"I see." She didn't look weirded-out at all. In fact, an enlightened face came over her, as if she'd just learnt something that explained _everything_. "Yes, they smell more in-between than anything."

Well that was a strange comment, but Chie had to admit it wasn't the oddest thing that had ever come out her mouth. Nanako thought they'd take Chie's lack of reply to answer Yukiko's question.

They put a hand on their chest, and smiled as best they could, though Chie could still see their bottom lip wobble in nervousness. "I'm Dojima Nanako. I used to live here, too, so when I heard Chie-nee-chan was coming here, I wanted to come with her."

"Should you not be in school?" asked Yukiko, with her hands behind her back, and as if she'd uttered a magic incantation, Nanako froze in place; smile and all.

A mild sense of horror ran up Chie spine: the kind you got at the start of a ghost movie, where nothing had happened _yet_ but the kids were walking in the haunted house anyway, even though you'd begged at the TV for them to stop and go home. They _should_ be at school. Shadow business was arguably more important than middle school, but that wasn't something that could be explained to a civilian.

Nanako had defrosted, and a practiced frown took over their features. "It's the half term. I'm on holiday."

"Oh, you _are!_ " Yukiko put a hand to her chin, and her pupils rolled towards the upper left in thought. "Yes, that makes sense. You won't know what this is like until you leave school, Nanako-chan, but once you do, you forget the school calendar even _existed_."

Chie actually had no idea how true that little statement was, but it'd been bought anyway. She mentally wiped the sweat off her brow, and said, "Yukiko, you've gotta be going back to the inn, right? Let's walk back together."

Yukiko had nodded, and the group carved a way through the fog as if their laughter was the brightest headlight. Catching up with Yukiko brought warming embers to Chie's stomach; it was something she'd never realised she'd missed, but now that she was here talking to her in the flesh, her heart almost _ached_ knowing they'd have to part soon enough. The innkeeper was a grown woman now, but talked as happily as if she'd stepped straight out of 2012 itself. Chie could only groan inside at how life had turned out, with them both being too busy to really stay in touch. Her, with her last year of high school, but more importantly, her Persona training. And Yukiko had to learn how to take up the inn. She'd even got a degree in Business, Chie learnt.

Nanako wasn't left out of the conversation, by any means. Sometimes Yukiko would stop in the middle of a sentence and recall some wacky school story for them - usually to Chie's embarrassment. 'Remember when you hit up that boy just because he tried to talk to me and said my name wrong so it sounded like _Stupidko_?' Oh yeah. Chie remembered alright.

At half past nine, they had officially returned to the inn and said their momentary goodbyes. Nanako chanted out their room number, before the two of them left, just in case _Amagi-nee-san_ needed anything. She'd found it cute. Chie privately thought 'Yukiko-nee-san' would've been much cuter.

She had only half-closed the door to their room when a loud dial tone ended and an electronic voice broke the peace.

 _"Nanako-chan?! Where are you! I hope you know how mad and worried Hierophant is, because ohhh man, he is_ fuming _. Like smoke is pouring out of his ears. And I mean, like, he is burning up with anger, not that he's actually smoking, because that'd be kinda weird, he's like, I don't know, forty? Probably. And -"_

A laugh burst out of Chie far louder than she'd meant it to.

 _"Is that Chariot?! You authorised this? I swear, I... wait. I'm on speaker, aren't I."_

"This is a business line but I _have_ to say _oh my god Yosuke._ Is he, like, a DILF? You think Nanako-chan's dad is a _DILF_?"

 _"I don't!"_ he protested, with fluster as audible as waves crashing on a beach. _"Look. Whatever. He's mad."_

"Like, fired up? In a _hot_ way?"

Yosuke thought he'd try to steer the conversation back on topic as quick as he could. _"Justice. Report. Where are you? You're in Inaba, aren't you? Don't try to lie to me. Lovers said there were three Users here, and_ you're _the most likely guy."_

"Yeah, you got me," Nanako said, clearly happy to play along and _ignore_ whatever it was Magician found their father. "But I had to. The prophecy..."

 _"You better get the next train to Tottori like, right now. I'll look up the times and see -"_

"I don't want to."

 _"Like that'll change anything! It's dangerous out there."_

"It's not _that_ bad. Chariot-san is here, and she's gonna train me too. There's only one Shadow here. We already have a lead on him."

 _"Chariot, I am_ docking _your pay, and, well I don't know what else, but. You're on cleanup duty for a month. Two months."_

"They're right, Magician," Chie shook her head, even though such a gesture couldn't be heard over the phone. "It's good experience. We need all the help we can get, don't we?"

 _"They're 13! And besides, it's not_ up _to me."_

She slammed a palm onto her hip. "Hey, I'll explain the sitch to Hierophant.

... When we get back. In person."

 _"He is_ really _not gonna like this."_

"Um, Magician-san...?" Nanako's voice rang out, soundly sharply more serious than anything else in the room.

 _"Yeah?"_

"You said there were three of us. But there's only me and Chariot-san."

 _"You... you mean you haven't met them yet?"_

Chie was quick to catch on. "No? Did you send someone?"

 _"No, but Lovers said she felt three were there. In Inaba."_

"Hey, what's their Arcana?"

 _"...we don't know. Lovers said it was too foggy to tell."_

"Maybe it's the Shadow," pondered Nanako out loud. "I mean, maybe he has a power that counteracts Lovers'."

Both Chie and Magician agreed it made sense - consistent with the vague vision she'd had, instead of the more specific name or location.

Magician sighed. _"Right. I'll let Hierophant know the bad news. I guess. You better report in tomorrow. But if I don't reply it means I've been ground into mincemeat."_

Chie couldn't resist an opportunity like that. "In more ways than one."

Without another word, the lifeless dial tone sounded throughout the room. Nanako turned their phone off. The two of them quietly sat down, ate their dinner, and pondered what Magician had said.

Who could the third User be? Nanako likely wouldn't have much clue, but Chie did know a few. At least by name alone. Apparently, there were a few who came from Inaba - Lovers' datefriend, the legendary _Fortune Prince of Tottori_ , was one who came to mind. They were well known by Users and Shadows alike, even in other regions, for their incredible hunting ability. In fact, they were the kind of guy who investigated and found Shadows all by themself, without the help of an ESPer like Lovers.

Chie knew one of the Strengths too: Ichijo Kou. He wasn't in her class, back in highschool, but she'd heard he'd had a crush on her all those years ago. They didn't pair up very often, though. Strength and Chariot was a poor match-up. There was Hanged Man too - he was some blonde guy who only got a little recognition in Inaba because his sister was one of the first deaths by Shadows. There were even more than that: another Strength, a Moon, and two Suns, who she'd heard had all gone to her school.

That was the one odd thing about it. Maybe fate just preferred granting teenagers Personae, and not adults. Maybe fate just grouped Users together into one town.

As Chie slipped into her pyjamas and climbed into the futon, she secretly hoped it is _was_ Fortune. That just sounded like a nice Arcana to have on your side.

* * *

She awoke to her underclothes sticky with cold, drying sweat. The light in the room was out - still dark, still too late to tell what time it was. She glanced at her phone: beyond three in the morning. Why had she woken up so early?

Sometimes, she did have nightmares. It was hard to wipe the memory of killing Shadows - of taking life - from your mind. But it hadn't _felt_ like a nightmare. Something was just off. The air was disturbed, ever so lightly, only cautiously pricking at her exposed skin.

She was never one to underestimate her gut feeling. It could very well be Tomoe sensing something. She crept over to Nanako's futon, taking care to avoid her crumpled mess of clothes amid Nanako's neatly folded set, and nudged at their shoulder. It took seconds before they heavily rolled over, earning a light rustle of fabric from the futon. Their eyes only half-focused on Chie's face.

"Huh...?"

She put a finger to her lips and uttered a quietening _shhh_ , then whispered for them to get up. They did, albeit slowly, and Chie let them be while she silently crossed the room to pull on some trousers and a jacket over her pyjamas. They were less for protection, and more for warmth. The only _real_ barrier between a Shadow's hunger and your blood was a Persona.

Once Nanako, too, had put on something a bit warmer, they slipped on their shoes and entered the corridor, searching for the source of Tomoe's disturbance. The only thing they could find was a murky figure, wavering in the courtyard. Chie could see black locks riding the moonlight; long, thin hair, that she'd recognise from anywhere. They stepped outside.

"Yukiko? What are you doing out here?" she called, and her voice tearing the silence was nothing short of dangerous, like the creaks of an Arctic ice floe yawning apart.

Yukiko turned around, dressed in a warm dressing gown. Her eyebrows widened slowly and carefully, almost dreamlike. "I was just getting a drink, and thought I heard a noise out here."

"We did, too," Nanako nodded. That wasn't too different to their reason, after all.

"You should get inside," Chie said, and then stepped in front of Yukiko as if a Shadow was already about to pounce on her. Maybe a Shadow already _was_. You could never be too careful.

But Yukiko only brushed her off. Her arm grazed Chie's shoulder, and Chie _cursed_ inside. What would she have to _do_ to get the woman to just head inside, to safety? Did she have to drag a Shadow, kicking and snarling, from the darkness, for Yukiko to see just how dangerous it was outside?

Something flashed dirty silver, at the corner of her eyes. She jumped forward, pushing Yukiko back, and shouted out "Get back!"

A person appeared, gliding down, and landing on the stone ground with a silent thump. The Shadow was far from the group, at the opposite end of the courtyard, but still Chie could tell she stood at over two metres.

The Shadow was impossibly tall. She took a few measured steps forward. Her shoulder-length hair drifted about her face like careless steel ribbons. Her jaw matched her hair, and the rest of her appearance: slight at first glance, but with the tempered undertones of someone carved from the harshest cliff-face.

She spread her lips, and a tenor voice called out, _"Ameno-Sagiri."_

Something awoke in Chie. Or rather than awoke, she merely realised something she'd felt all her life. It was beyond fear. It was what sinners felt before the pearly gates. It was what dirt felt when underfoot mountains.

Nanako, too, was frozen, like a carcass abandoned to a tundra. Yukiko, shockingly, looked afraid but not _overwhelmed._ A small voice in Chie said _she was never too bothered by horror movies_ , while another part argued _she doesn't know what Shadows are like_.

Chie _knew_ what Shadows were like, but she'd never encountered one like this.

"I don't know who you are, but if you're here to cause trouble, I'm going to call the police." Yukiko's voice, so familiar and self-assured, managed to jolt Chie from her stasis enough to widen her eyes even further with surprise.

"So you confine yourself to this child, and refuse to answer your own mother." The Shadow shut her eyes, and tilted her head, in an odd expression of something less like wonder and more like showmanship.

When her eyelids had opened again, they revealed irises that shone gold like streetlamps, the glare directed at none other than Yukiko.

But it wasn't like the Shadow was looking _at_ her. It was more like _through_ her, the same way someone would look through a treeline to the prey lurking behind.

"Well?" The Shadow spread her arms. Her kimono sleeves swang, dejected. "You wish to fight me, Izanami?"

Yukiko didn't do anything; the only movement from her was a small flicker in her eyes.

"Y... _yes!_ " Chie cried out. The fear and asphyxiation had leaked into her voice, and clouded it, like raw oil on a thriving sea. "How... how _dare_ you threaten the peace of this town. You don't belong here."

Izanami narrowed her eyes, but when she spoke, it was with amusement, and not suspicion.

"This child defies _me,_ Izanami. How entertaining."

She'd stated the line like it was a set-up to a good joke.

Before Chie could form a response, a voice to her left called out.

" _Sraosha!_ "

A winged being carved his presence into the air before her. His blue, bony form looked by no means weak - empowered, rather. As if he didn't need to _look_ strong to _be_ strong. His noble, red loin cloth flowed with the wind. This was a Persona who had nothing he could fear.

Personae were mere extensions of their Users, though - a worry crept up in Chie's insides that Nanako was getting ahead of themself. She called out her own Tomoe; a yellow-clad, masked warrior, whose double-headed naginata could cut through any bounds.

The Shadow, on the other hand, looked totally unphased. Her features hadn't changed a bit. This clearly wasn't her first encounter with a User.

"Ameno-Sagiri: must you make me harm these children?"

Again, the words were directed at Yukiko, and again, they were flatly ignored. Her eyebrows knit together in the middle of her face, like she was trying to come up with an answer to a riddle.

"I _said_ , I don't know who you are!" she cried. The frustration burnt in her throat.

Izanami looked like she was waiting, perhaps for an answer from the ethereal "Ameno-Sagiri". She was clearly not one to be taken off guard. Every last drop off Chie's brimming headstrong attitude had evaporated into the clouds, and now all that remained was uncertainty.

Instilling fear must be this Shadow's power. Yes, that had to be it. She was _Chie_ , for crying out loud - she was _Chariot_. The Arcana assigned to her spoke tomes of victory and charge. As if this single, measly animal could bring her down, when countless others before her had failed. Even the tension aching in Chie's legs couldn't press Izanami. The Shadow was not going to make the first move.

Tomoe sailed forward, through the air, with her naginata arced ahead like a furious viking longship. The blade dug itself into the Shadow's shoulder, rending cloth and flesh alike.

Izanami's face betrayed no pain.

Sraosha was there in a breath. The scroll in his hands flashed into a broadsword, that swooped down, for the Shadow's neck - Nanako did _not_ play around - but was stopped short of its destination.

Izanami's fingers were curled around it. Blood crawled down her hand, and the sword blade's metal.

"My, my," she said.

She grabbed the sword and threw it away. It clattered on the stone.

Tomoe tried to push her naginata in, deeper, and it hit bone, but to little effect. Izanami touched the pole with just her fingertips, pushing it _out_ of her body and behind her.

And then she took a step towards Chie, and another, until she towered over her like a concrete dam before a babbling brook.

The growing blood at her shoulder stained her beflowered kimono black, but it didn't look jar. The dark spot looked like it was sewn into the fabric itself.

"Ameno-Sagiri," she started, but was stopped by Chie launching herself at her with a kick to the knees.

Chie could feel her kick reverberate into kneecaps and flesh.

Still the Shadow stood.

A hand reached out, and before Chie's eyes could follow it, it was enclosing her neck. She gasped out - the air squeezed from her neck - and her own hands jumped up to pry the fingers off her.

"Stop it!" someone called.

"Leave that body alone, Ameno-Sagiri. You're disrespecting her, and me, as well."

Izanami seemed to make nothing of strangling a User, as if it was as casual as pulling out a cigarette.

All Shadows thought like that.

There was a small grunt, from behind the Shadow. It was Nanako.

She said, "Then, perhaps if I do this?"

All of a sudden, Chie _seared_. Blood and spit forced itself out her mouth, along with a cry. Her stomach was wet. Too wet, and too sticky.

Her eyes strained to track what'd happened from her position, and what they returned didn't make any sense. There was an arm sticking out of her abdomen. What was it doing there? It didn't belong there. And why was there blood? So, so much blood?

She was released, and the ground rushed up to meet her. Too hard. The shock knocked the wind out of her. If there was even any breath left in her.

She gasped - gulped - for air, for the blood to seep back into her body, for _anything_.

Someone screamed her name; their voice split into two parts until she didn't know what she was hearing anymore.

And then there was light.

 _Pink_ , _rosy_ light.

The pain was gone so suddenly it felt like an ice burn.

She was staring at the tiles. Her nose was pressed to the cold ground, and something was gripping her jacket like it was a lifesaver.

"You have surpassed my expectations in every way, Ameno-Sagiri." Izanami's voice cut through Chie's muddy thoughts like a sword. "You have caught my interest. I wish to see this unfold.

Very well. I, Izanami, will relent. But do not expect mercy, my child."

Although she couldn't see anything, Chie _knew_ the Shadow left, by her own emotions alone. It was like someone had whipped away the sheet of anxiety that had been draped on the inn that night.

"That was scary," someone groaned, by her legs. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, bringing those clinging hands with her. It was Yukiko, holding onto her arm so tight she nearly pulled the jacket off outright.

"It... " Chie was at a loss for words. In retrospect, they'd have probably been fine if they'd prepared harder, or had backup with them. But was voicing that really the best thing to say, right now? Nanako was as pale as a ghost. "It was, but she had fear-induction powers. We'll be better prepared, the next time she shows her face here. Did you heal me? Because I gotta say: good job!"

The compliment didn't move Nanako. They stared down, somewhere between the ground and Chie's pyjama bottoms.

"It wasn't me. I got overwhelmed. I'm sorry."

Their voice was as question-posing as a crime scene. Chie felt her blood chill and slow in her veins.

"That's... come on, Nanako. There's no need to be modest."

"It wasn't me. It was Amagi-san."

The crime scene had escalated into a failed treason plot. She turned to look at Yukiko, slowly, like if she moved too suddenly the woman would scarper into thin air.

Yukiko was also staring at the ground - avoiding eye contact. Her hands, still attached to Chie's jacket, had turned white with pressure.

The ambience of night coloured in the silence, but only barely. The occasional drone of the road grew slighter, until it was but a quiet rumble against the floor that matched the pulse beating in Chie's hands.

Yukiko only spoke when an eternity had passed. Her bottom lip quivered. "I don't know what happened.

There was just... I just saw her fingers poking out of your back, and my _god_ , there was so much blood, and suddenly there was a flash of light and this big pink thing appeared."

Nanako was nodding.

"Sorry, I don't mean big pink thing, I mean - Konohana Sakuya. That's her name. I don't know how I _know_ that, but - " Yukiko burst into laughter, suddenly, like she couldn't keep a straight face anymore. But it wasn't her usual, bubbly giggle. It was the laugh of someone who'd witnessed something they couldn't comprehend. "Just listen to me. That sounds so _made up._ "

She stopped her strained chuckles when Chie cupped her hands in her own.

"It's _real_ , Yukiko. I can promise you that. You have a Persona."


End file.
